Lomio tucked the still-warm coin away and turned to look at Beatrice, who was frozen in place.
The person who had been sucking up to Epicolis just moments ago had failed to even catch her eye. His face was now as green as a piece of moldy magic crystal ore.
“Oh my, I haven’t even gone to sleep yet, and she already gave it to me.”
…
“I wonder what happened…”
Lomio leaned against the railing and tilted his chin up.
“Stop pretending, Camu. I don’t like beating around the bush. You didn’t come to find me today just to offer such boring terms, did you?”
“Was this also within Cafnir’s predictions?”
The hypocritical indignation and disdain on Beatrice’s face finally vanished.
His eyes grew cold, like an actor removing his makeup. His entire temperament underwent a world-shaking transformation.
“It seems her loss to you wasn’t a coincidence.”
“You don’t actually think your acting is good, do you?”
Lomio smiled.
“Why is it that you have to rely on your body and schemes to get resources, while I don’t have to do anything at all?”
Lomio let out a laugh.
“We’re both men, so how is the gap between us so large?”
Those words struck Camu’s sore spot. Occupying Beatrice’s body, he hated nothing more than people mentioning his true gender. Having been exposed by Lomio in public and then losing face in front of Epicolis, he was now barely able to suppress his rage.
“A minor noble from the border… what kind of darkness could you have possibly seen?”
Beatrice’s voice began to blend with the raspiness of an adult man.
“Everything I have done was to earn resources for the Cromwell family. And you? What do you do it for?”
“Resources earned by sleeping around?” Lomio raised an eyebrow. “Then let me ask you, what kind of future can you sleep your way into? A vibrator with some social skills serving high-ranking nobles? You sell your dignity and this is the result? It looks like your skills in bed aren’t even that good.”
Lomio paused, recalling the story’s plot, and began to mock him ruthlessly.
“I also heard that the mining rights for that Tier 3 magic crystal mine the Cromwells got last year… didn’t you spend three months sleeping with a 55-year-old Marchioness from the Capital to get it? She’s fifty-five! She’s got one foot in the grave!”
“And then there’s Duchess Valdoli. During her 70th birthday banquet, didn’t you stay at her manor for several days? As expected of a high noble from a warrior lineage, her body is certainly robust! Tsk, tsk, still squeezing you dry at 70! I could never learn your way of survival.”
“You…”
Finally, Lomio saw genuine shock on Camu’s face.
“I’m just the youngest son of a Border Count. How could I possibly know your dirty secrets?”
“If I go to the streets of the Capital to buy groceries, I can run into several noble families that you’ve slept with. How do you think I know?”
This was dirt that Camu had suppressed for over a decade, the absolute secrets of the Cromwell family. How could Lomio, a freshman from the border, know any of it?
“In May, at the Duchess’s birthday banquet, you followed her to a private island. Last month, you accepted an invitation from the president of the Capital’s Chamber of Commerce to accompany them to the Northern Border to watch the horse races?”
With every sentence, Beatrice’s face grew a shade paler.
“For the sake of the Cromwell family’s petty interests, you’ll do anything. You’ll even sell your own body. And yet, you have the nerve to come here and teach me how a man should live?”
Lomio took out his notebook, patted the dust off it, and tucked it into his pocket.
“I use my own fists to take the top spot, and my own abilities to earn my senior’s guidance. Even if I get tired of saving up credits, I feel at peace when I spend them. Unlike you—did you actually develop a sense of superiority from being a kept man?”
The wind swept across the terrace, carrying the noise from the hall below, mixed with the scent of champagne and desserts.
Beatrice stood still, his knuckles cracking as he clenched his fists, his teeth gnashing with hatred. He was 24 years old and had been relying on his face to mingle in the social circles of noblewomen in the Capital since he was 15. He had always believed in his own law of survival—men in this world were naturally the weaker group, so what was wrong with trading one’s body for resources? It was better than those useless men who died in the mouths of magical beasts at the border!
“You don’t know a damn thing about the rules of the Capital!” Beatrice’s voice was extremely low. “Without a family backing you, what do you think your little bit of talent is worth in the eyes of the great nobles of the Capital? Once you leave the Academy, you won’t even be fit to carry someone’s shoes!”
“Oh? Then I’ll just have to see if your ‘soft rice’ is harder, or if my blade is harder.”
Lomio brushed the dust off his formal suit and turned to leave.
“Right, I forgot to tell you.”
Lomio paused his steps but didn’t look back.
“This is our first conversation, so I won’t hold it against you. But the next time you use someone else’s skin to talk to me, don’t blame me for slapping you. If you want to be a chess player, you’re simply not qualified.”
With that, Lomio walked straight down the stairs from the terrace.
The moment Lomio reached the first floor, someone grabbed his arm.
Karenina’s collar was slightly crooked, and stray hairs were plastered across her face. The calm composure she usually maintained had long since shattered.
“I’m so tired.”
Her words carried a rare trace of emotion.
“This banquet has become utterly meaningless.”
Lomio raised an eyebrow and glanced at the three senior students chasing after Karenina. “What, can’t handle them?”
Karenina pulled Lomio in front of her, using him to block the line of sight behind her.
“The principal just awarded us our ranks. Now, half the people in the hall are looking for us.”
“Such enthusiasm?”
Lomio looked at the senior students who were catching up.
“Do these ladies want to be your followers, or do they want to eat you alive?”
“Literally speaking, they just want to dance.”
Karenina shook her head.
“Unfortunately, I have absolutely no interest in people whose hands aren’t clean.”
“How despicable!”
Lomio said with righteous indignation.
“They want to use my buddy for free without paying credits! That’s just too much!”
As he spoke, the charm aura on his body leaked out slightly.
“Ladies, how about me? One hundred credits for a dance, honest prices for young and old alike!”
“One hundred credits?! Are you craz—”
The woman walking at the very front slammed on the brakes. Just as she was about to snap back, her eyes fell upon Lomio’s face.
“Wow.”
The group froze in place instantly, their gazes seemingly glued to Lomio!
“Transfer the credits first. No credit allowed.”
Lomio reached out, pulled out his credit card, and held it out to the senior students.
Karenina was stunned.
Even this could become a business?!
“Can’t the heir of the Russell family earn some extra cash? 100 credits for a dance. Five dances is 500. How much do I even earn from a single exam?”
Lomio liked points much more than his own face!
“One hundred really isn’t expensive! Here! Let me try!”
The moment Lomio finished speaking, several seniors immediately pulled out their credit cards, ready to transfer points to Lomio’s card.
“…”
Was this right?!
Karenina felt her head throb under immense pressure.
The examiner for the royal heir was actually going to dance with these women with filthy intentions just for the sake of credits!
An indescribable feeling surged within her.
Karenina didn’t know what was wrong with her, but she simply couldn’t bear to see this scene!
“One hundred for a dance? Fine.”
Pushing ahead of all the other women, Karenina swiped Lomio’s credit card and directly transferred 500 credits into it—this was almost all her earnings from the current exam and the talent cultivation plan.
“I’ll dance with you. Do you have a problem with that?”
“…”
Looking at the credits that had been swiped into his card, Lomio fell into a momentary silence.
‘Buddy, you’re looking a little gay…’
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